My cousin Sinead Luddy is doing a six week trip around Australia and New Zealand.

She rang me this morning to say that she was in Sydney and was going to come up and see me for the day. Her brother Padraig is based in Sydney and he had the day off so they drove up with a couple of friends.

It was great catching up and the kids were really surprised to see them when they got off the school bus. They brought a huge chocolate mud cake with them which we made a big dent into after lunch and the kids stuffed their faces with the rest when they got in from school.

It was great to catch up and sit back and listen to the Irish accents for a while. It brought Byron back to the time he met the Luddy's for the first time on their farm in Mitchelstown. He was so unable to understand the accents he was convinced they were speaking in Gaelic! They want to pass on a big Hello to everyone at home in Kilbehenny and Padraig said that he knows he only rings home every 4-5 weeks but phones are really scarce in Sydney! I think he's been out in the Aussie sunshine too long if he thinks they'll fall for that one!!!